Faith

English: Jesus Christ - detail from Deesis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will set forth a new definition for the word faith. Most of the internet and dictionaries available define faith as a confidence and trust placed on a person or entity. Although I do not disagree with this definition I believe that it excludes the fact all people universally have a form of faith. Whether atheist or theist there is a faith involved in those cognitive processes that establishes a certainty principle within that person.

A person accepts as certainty, certain theories, based on the evidence and background information provided. This certainty then becomes faith or the product of that certainty is faith. There may be many contradictions of fact within a person’s faith; however this does not topple that person’s faith in their belief of certainty.

Faith is not blind. On the contrary but is a belief that is based on the examination of the evidence.

Therefore faith is defined here as the ability that humans have to use abstract thinking to apply certainty to principles that may or may not have been observed or measured.

I did not observe Christ rise from the dead but I certainly can verify the evidence in support of the event and therefore be certain of its reality.